Howling Bells is a Sydney, Australia rock band which formed in 2004, from t… Read Full Bio ↴Howling Bells is a Sydney, Australia rock band which formed in 2004, from the ashes of Waikiki. Members include: Juanita Stein (vocals, guitar), Joel Stein (guitar, keys, vocals), Brendan Picchio (bass, keys, vocals) and Glenn Moule (drums/vocals). They debuted with the single "Wishing Stone" (Feb 2006, Bella Union).

Soon after their formation, they packed-up and moved to the UK, where they recorded their critical acclaimed debut album, "Howling Bells" (May 2006, Bella Union), with Coldplay / Gomez producer Ken Nelson . Press included a rare 9/10 in NME and 7.8/10 in Pitchfork. They spent much of the next 2 years touring mostly Europe, Australia and parts of the US. Howling Bells played at the 2007 NME Awards show. They also performed at numerous festivals over the 2006 English summer including Reading/Leeds. They have supported US band The Killers and Placebo around Europe, as well as Snow Patrol on their Australian tour.

Howling Bells signed to the well respected U.K record label Independiente (Travis,The La's) and released their 2nd album, "Radio Wars", which they recorded with Dan Grech-Marguerat, who has produced/engineered records alongside producer Nigel Godrich, including Radiohead and Air.The first single was Into The Chaos.

Their third studio album "The Loudest Engine" was released through Cooking Vinyl on 9 September 2011 to mostly positive reviews. It was produced by Mark Stoermer and recorded at Battle Born Studios, in Las Vegas from September to October 2010.

Their fourth studio album "Heartstrings" was released through Birthday Records on 2 June 2014 to generally favourable reviews. It was co-produced by Catherine J. Marks and Alan Moulder, and recorded at Assault & Battery 2, London, in November 2013.

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Baby Blue
Howling Bells Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been seeing a vision within
It's under my skin
Baby blue

Of searching the skies late at night
I'm close to your light
Baby blue

You're so far, my star
You're the farthest star
In this fire, I can't see myself, I'm under your spell
Baby blue

Everybody takes care for them selves
Don't want to no-one else
Baby blue

You're so far, my star
You're the farthest star

Wont you shine down on me
'Cause tonight I need your light baby

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Howling Bells’ “Baby Blue” paints a picture of obsession and possession. The lead singer Juanita Stein sings about how she has been seeing a vision from within that is under her skin. The vision seems to be taking over her whole being as she repeats the phrase Baby Blue twice in that opening line. The next verse sees her searching the skies late at night, probably trying to find the object of her obsession. She feels close to the light of this person and yet so far at the same time. The chorus then brings forth the image of a fire in which she is under the spell of her obsession. She cannot even find herself in the fire and her vision is completely enveloping her.

The second verse takes on a different tone altogether. She seems to be talking about how everyone takes care of themselves and no one cares for anyone else. The use of Baby Blue is repeated again in this verse as if it’s the only thing that matters to her. In the last verse, she directly beseeches the object of her obsession to shine down on her because tonight she needs their light. The song as a whole seems to be a nod to the tumultuous feelings one experiences when in the throes of infatuation. From the desperation to the possessiveness, even the lyrics are infused with a heavy dose of obsession.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been seeing a vision within
I have been experiencing a strong feeling within myself

It's under my skin
It is deep within me

Baby blue
I am feeling a sense of longing and sadness

Of searching the skies late at night
I spend my nights staring at the sky, searching

I'm close to your light
I feel a connection to your light

You're so far, my star
You are distant from me, like a star in the sky

You're the farthest star
You are the most distant thing I know

In this fire, I can't see myself, I'm under your spell
In the passion of this moment, I am unable to focus on myself, I am mesmerized by you

Everybody takes care for them selves
Everyone is focused on their own lives

Don't want to no-one else
They do not want to take care of anyone else

Wont you shine down on me
Can you please give me some attention